The End of the Beginning
A/N: When I told myself I was going to stop writing fan fiction, I really meant it. What you're reading right now was not supposed to exist. But after seeing the season three finale, I knew I just had to write this down (it was also better than doing homework). This doesn't mean I'm "coming back"; I'm kind of just here for this one-time thing. Maybe. We'll see. So, here it is; just a short one-shot. It might be a little cliché or cheesy, but if you know me, then you know that I really love cheese and cliché stuff (sometimes anyway). So, I hope you enjoy. :)
She walked out of the store excited for her tour, when she remembered that she forgot something. Turning around, the brunette walked back in and picked up the old, leather book sitting on the counter. There was a certain page always bookmarked, and she flipped to that certain page.
So many memories, the girl thought. There were small pictures of her and her friends – Austin, Trish, and Dez – glued onto that page. It was them as usual, always having fun in that very store or up in the practice room. Whether it was relaxing like it was summer or writing a new song, they always had fun. The past three years had been the most remarkable; nothing could ever change that. Right in the middle of that page, was a single sentence. A powerful one it was, one that held their friendship together: There's no way I can make it without you.
Then on the page next to it were the lyrics to an ancient song from ages ago. The writing was now wearing out, the graphite fading away into the pages along with the rest of the book's musical tales.
She remembered writing down the first few lyrics to its chorus and then playing it later on that day in her practice room. She wanted to one day have it as hers, as a big hit even. But only when she had already overcome her paralyzing fear of stage fright – which was the one obstacle standing in the way of her dream.
However, after overhearing that song, someone had beaten her to making that song a big hit. That song – Double Take – was then the big hit Austin Moon sang to make himself an overnight internet sensation.
That was where it all started. In her music store with her song that was written in her songbook came the blonde boy who stole it from her was where it started.
It was then that a series of events spiraled from his video that not only resulted in his rising fame, but in eventually hers as well.
Soon enough, not only would it be that the boy had stolen her song, but that he would steal her heart, too. From partners and friends, to best friends and lovers, their relationship had grown over the past three years.
"We're a perfect match!" he once said, not knowing what it foreshadowed at the time. She didn't know either, but no one did.
But what manifested in her mind most was how the roles had been switched between then and now. How before it was he who had his career skyrocketing until he let it go for her. And now it was her turn. It was her turn to flourish in that limelight on her tour.
The girl's mind flashed these thoughts in the matter of a few seconds, smiling down at the two nostalgic pages all the same. She only recently discovered that nobody knew the true value of a moment until it became a memory, a part of a beautiful story called life.
After these few seconds, her boyfriend came into the store, having noticed that he was not by her side. She closed the book as he asked, "You ready to do this?"
The brunette looked at him with a smile, thinking of how happy he seemed, even though it was his career that was ending. "Yeah," so she answered. "I am."
What a journey it was.
She wasn't sure of where the next road was going to lead her, but what an amazing new ride it was going to be...
The first night on the tour bus was supposed to be a fun one, he thought. Instead, it was more thoughtful.
He lied on the mattress, staring up at the one above him in the dark; thinking. Thinking of how from then on, his life was going to be different. Specifically, how different it was going to be without much music in his life. Sure, he was on his girlfriend's first tour, but the impending thought of not continuing his own music had haunted him. Why did it trouble him so much?
He was so sure that choosing love over music was the definite way to go. It was the correct decision, right? Wasn't it? It was her song that got him into the music business in the first place anyway. It was her songwriting that helped him rise over the moon. For without her, he would be nothing. Just a teenage boy sitting at home eating endless stacks of frowny-faced pancakes dreaming how it would be if he could actually make music.
Not one to hold it in much longer, he said to the mattress above him, "Ally? You awake?"
The brunette already fast asleep, still picked up on his voice, but only mumbled through her pillow, "Mm-hmm?"
He sighed, not really wanting to wake her, but still needed to talk. Rolling out of bed, he stood up and switched on the light. This caused the brunette to rub her eyes open, wondering what was going on. She got down from the top bunk, seeing the look in his eyes. She asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure," he answered, going over to sit on the bottom bunk. The girl followed suit.
The blonde continued, "But it's been kind of bothering me all night."
"And that is?"
"That is..." he scratched the back of his neck. He was unsure of how to put it into words, how to piece his thoughts together into a single sentence.
On the other hand, the brunette was curious as to what her boyfriend had to say, but didn't press further into the matter until he knew what he had to say. Though after several seconds, she questioned, "Is this about Jimmy?"
"Well," the blonde perked up. "Yeah, but no...maybe, but I don't think so. Not really." The brunette furrowed her eyebrows, not getting much of an idea from his response.
"I just—" he sighed. "I don't know." The blonde put his head into his hands, internally frustrated with himself.
The brunette saw this through his one action, putting a hand on his knee. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Lifting his head up, he said, "Yeah. I know. It's just..."
"Yeah?"
"I know I have you, and I know I let go of music..." he continued. "But what does that mean for us?"
The girl, still unsure of what he was trying to say, said, "What do you mean for us? We're together, aren't we?" She grabbed his hand for extra comfort, wanting him to feel better about what was bothering him.
"Well, yeah, but not what I meant." He looked down at their interlocked hands, then at her eyes. "I mean, so if I'm not going to be making music anymore, does that mean this is the end of our partnership? The end of Austin & Ally?"
She was taken aback by his question for a moment. The end of their partnership, the end of Austin & Ally? Originally, the whole purpose of the Austin & Ally Musical Partnership was for Ally to help Austin with his songs in order to further progress him into his future career. Except now, the future had come and gone. As Ally had recalled from back at the store, the roles had been switched.
Finally after moments of thinking, the girl told him, "I think that as long as we're together—" She squeezed his hand once. "As a couple or as best friends, in the music business or not, there will never be an end to the Austin & Ally Partnership."
He considered her answer for a moment that no matter what, there will never be an end to what they had. "You think so?" he said.
She nodded. "There's no way I can make it without you, right?"
"There's no way I can make it without you," he repeated, grinning. "Thanks, Ally."
"Of course. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"Actually," the blonde eyed one of Ally's suitcases. "For some reason I was thinking we could read one of those books you brought."
The brunette beamed at the thought, but pushed it away for the time being. "I think I have a better story in mind." Up at the top of her bunk, under her pillow, she managed to reach for her songbook. Automatically flipping to the page she was looking at before, she angled it for him to be able to see. He, of course, grinned at the two pages, the nostalgia rushing through him.
She started, "The story I have in mind began on a warm, summer day. A girl was in her father's music store working behind the counter and writing in a songbook."
Immediately catching on, he continued, "I think I know this story. A boy came in with two corndogs and started playing the set of drums by the backdoor."
"The girl had to go over to him, tell him that he wasn't allowed to play the drums, especially with unhealthy corndogs."
He chuckled at the last part. "But he thought the corndogs were delicious anyway. What he really wanted though was to be famous, and requested to have some instruments to borrow."
"She said no, that he needed money to buy the instruments."
"He said he would one day pay her back with a bag of shiny gold coins."
Before letting the girl go on with the story, he continued, "He then heard her singing a song in her practice room. He stole the song to become famous overnight. And he did."
"She was angry at him for doing so."
"He said he was sorry. They wrote their first song together."
"She was out on the Helen Show the next day, and broke down from stage fright."
"He said sorry for that too. But he redecorated her practice room and proposed a musical partnership."
"She said yes, thus beginning their journey."
Austin then finished, "And today here they are. The boy having given up music for love and the girl on her first tour, ready to take the spotlight she always deserved. They were happy, together, and that was all that mattered. The boy knew he had made the right choice."
"It's an amazing book, isn't it?" Ally admired.
"Yeah, but how about a sequel?"
"Of course. In any good book, there is always a new chapter to read. But in any amazing one, there is always another story to tell – a sequel."
He grinned at that. "Definitely. Where do you think it'll take them?"
"Don't know, but wherever it is, I'm sure they'll do just fine."
A/N: So there's that. Not my best (writing-wise), but I consider this good closure for the time being. At least I hope that it's good closure. Thoughts? :)
Until next time!